In this video I walk you through three core turntable setup steps that make a huge difference: balancing the tonearm, setting the stylus tracking force, and dialing in anti-skating. I’m using my Technics SL-1200 MK5, but if your deck has a counterweight and adjustable anti-skate, the process is going to be very similar. The big thing is taking it step by step and treating the stylus like the fragile (and expensive) little guy it is—no letting it touch the platter or anything while you’re finding the balance point. First, I set anti-skate to zero and float the arm perfectly level by turning the counterweight (clockwise = less force, counterclockwise = more). Once it’s floating horizontal, I lock it back in the rest, set the tracking dial to “0” without moving the counterweight itself, and then apply the manufacturer’s recommended tracking force by turning the whole counterweight to the target number. From there, anti-skate usually gets set to roughly the same number as tracking force for normal listening. I also cover the rare balancing issue where your headshell/cartridge is too light—how to fix it with a headshell weight plate or an auxiliary rear weight—and why a cheap tracking force scale can save you a lot of guessing.